Thomas w



(No Model.)

T. W. HUGHES.

SEWING MACHINE MOTOR.

Patented July 24, 1888.

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N. PETERS, Phowmmsuphar. wamingmn. D.c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS lV. HUGHES, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO VILTONG. FORTSON, OF SAME PLACE.

SEWING-MACHINE MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION :forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,782, dated July24, 1888.

Application tiled September 1, 1887. Serial No. 218.550.

.To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, Trroims W. HUGHns, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia,

have invented a new and useful Sewing-Machine Motor; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which itappertains to make ro and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or tigures of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of motors in which power is storedin a spring and is applicable to motors for many purposes, as well asthose for driving sewing-machines, the object being to produce a mot-orthat shall be reasonably low in cost, substantial in construction, andin which the spring can be wound up for the accumulation of power in aneasy and effective way.

The invention consists of a spring and a system of gearing and means ofputting tension on the spring, as will be hereinafter fully described. 4

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a chairwith the mechanism attached, the device consisting of a case that 3o isattached to one side of the chair and contains the mechanism, consistingof a system of gearing, by which the speed of the spring-drum ismultiplied in being transmitted to the pulley from which the sewing orother machine is driven, a ratchet to resist the backward thrust of thespring and a pinion, both on the main or spring shaft, and a curved rackattached to a hinged seat of a chair, the said hinged seat being in anelevated position. This figure also 4o shows the brake by pressure ofthe foot upon which the speed of the device may be regulated. Fig. 2 isa front view of the lower part of a chair, showing the same details asare shown in Fig. 1, but with the hinged seat depressed to its lowestposition. Fig. 3 is a view of the inside of the pinion on the mainshaft, showing its ratchet connected thereto.

In the figures, like reference-marks indicating corresponding parts inthe several views, A is a chair, having the hinged seat B, which (Nomodel.)

is hinged by the hinges a to the front of this chair, and is raised bythe spring C to the position shown in Fig. l. Any form of spring may beused; but l consider the form shown as being preferable. To the bottomof one end of the 5:; hinged seat is attached the Lipper end of thecurved rack D, which engages with the pinion E on the shaft l. Thepinion E runs loosely on the shaft l and drives it through the ratchetin the back side of the pinion, Fig. 3, which 6o permits the pinion torun loosely in one direction. Attached to the pinion E is the pawl F,which engages with a ratchet on the shaft l back of the pinion E. lNhenthe pinion E is turned by the depression of the seat, the paw] F engageswith the ratchet on the shaft i and turns it, thus winding the spring.When the seat is raised, the ratchet F holds the spring and prevents itfrom unwinding, While the ratchet F allows the pinion E to have a re- 7overse movement. On the same shaft is the ratchet F, its pivot f beingattached at any convenient stationary part of the device. On this shaftis also attached the inner end of the helical spring G, the outer endbeing attached to the drum H on and revolving with the gear K, that runsloosely on its shaft.

The hinged part of the seat of the chair bcing raised by the spring C tothe position shown in Fig. l, the weight of a person sitting 8o on itwill depress it to the position shown in Fig. 2, which will, through therack D, revolve the pinion E in the direction shown by the arrow a',Fig. l, and wind the spring on the shaft l. I have shown the rackworking on the pinion on the main shaft; but one or more pairs of gearsmay be interposed to cause the spring to be wound more rapidly, but withless force; or the gearing might be reversed, to make a given weight onthe seat wind a greater weight of 9o spring than it would otherwise do,according to circumstances; but I prefer to useaspring that will be ofsuch a length and thickness as can be wound with a single gear and rack.

The repeated depression of the seat will wind up a spring of greatlength, after which the motor will run for a considerable time; or theperson using it may in some cases allow the hinged part of the seat torise occasionally without stopping the machine, which would loo allowthe motor to run continuously for any i length of time without anystoppage.

The power of the spring is exerted on the spurgearing on the shaft l,and by it communicated to the pinion on the shaft 2, on which is also aspur-gear which communicates the power to the pinion on shal't, on whichis the band-wheel Z, from which baud-wheel a belt will carry the powerto the sewing or other machine. The shafts are supported in bearings inthe casing L, which also incloses the gearing and is attached to theframe of the chair.

The brake M is pressed by the spring N against the wheel Z and preventsthe motor from running when not in use, and by a pressure against thelower end regulates the speed when the device is in use.

THOMAS W. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

A. P. Woon, W. G. FoRTsoN.

